Astronauts, Cronkite to receive moon rocks

NASA's Ambassador of Exploration awardees will be presented a moon rock to be displayed at a museum or educational institution of their choosing.(NASA)

July 16, 2004

— In order to recognize the sacrifices and dedication of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts, each will be presented a moon rock as part of a special ceremony honoring the 35th anniversary of Apollo 11 on Tuesday night at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

The moon rocks to be awarded are each part of sample returned by the Apollo 17 mission from the Taurus Littrow Valley. Each will be encased in an acrylic sphere and attached to a plaque bearing images of a Saturn V rocket launch, an astronaut (John Young) jumping on the Moon, the planet Mars and the International Space Station.

The lunar samples will remain the property of NASA, but the astronauts and their surviving families, in coordination with NASA, will select a museum or other educational institution where their awards will be publicly displayed in their name to help inspire a new generation of explorers.

The award celebrates the "realization of a vision" for exploration first articulated by President John F. Kennedy in May 1961, when NASA's fledgling human space flight program had little more than 15 minutes of space flight experience. In addition to the moon rocks, each of the 34 astronauts (nine now deceased) will be named by NASA as "Ambassadors of Exploration".

Among the honorees will also be Walter Cronkite, the only non-astronaut selected as an Ambassador of Exploration. Millions experienced the early years of space exploration through the Cronkite's news reports. During the Apollo 11 mission, Cronkite was on the air for 27 of the 30 hours it took for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to complete their work on the lunar surface.

As Ambassadors of Exploration, the recipients will help NASA communicate the benefits and excitement of space exploration and "why the continuing investment in our future is vital to the security and vitality of America."